Many of the things to do in downtown Fort Mill this October start at the same place. That's the Fort Mill History Museum at 107 Clebourne Street. It runs the lantern-lit walking tours on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. It runs the 21+ bar crawl, the Halloween trivia night at Amor Artis, the graveyard scavenger hunt and the pioneer crafts table at the Saturday market. Its volunteers sell the beer at the Fall Festival, and its courtyard hosts November's chili cook-off.
If you already have a usual downtown evening, it probably overlaps with one of these. Here's how the month fits together, starting with the event that came first.
The Tour That Started It All in 2017
The museum's first Lanterns & Legends tours ran in October 2017. This year's run is the 10th annual. Guides carry lanterns through the historic streets and tell stories about the town's people, places and legends. The museum's Winter 2023 newsletter said the seventh year drew more than 600 visitors. It also set records for ticket sales and private tours. Fort Mill Now's 2026 fall guide calls it a local fall tradition and says tours sell out.
That's about three times the original wait for a tradition, and it took a lantern and a sidewalk. The basics for this year:
- When: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through October 30, with tours at 6:45 and 7:45 p.m.
- Second weekend: The museum's page lists "October 8, 9, 19," and Fort Mill Now lists October 8 through 10. Check the ticket page before you plan around that Saturday.
- Cost: $17 per person. Groups of 15 to 20 can book a private tour through [email protected] or 803-802-3646.
- Fine print: Tours go rain or shine, tickets are non-refundable, and the museum recommends them for ages 12 and up.
- Parking: Behind Hobos on Main St., at the municipal lot on Tom Hall, or at Veterans Park at 106 N. White St.
Booking your own private group means you don't have to compete for a public slot.
How One Tour Became a Month of Evenings
The museum has added more evenings around the tour, and many of them take place in Main Street businesses. The Spirits of Fort Mill Bar Crawl uses the same lantern-and-legend idea but stops at three local venues, with a drink and a story at each one. The last date is Thursday, October 8, from 6:00 to 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $25. It's 21+ only, drinks and food aren't included, and there are drink specials. The museum hasn't published which venues are on the route.
Trivia follows the same pattern. Amor Artis is a family-owned brewery downtown run by brothers Travis and Steve Tolson and Khara Tolson. It hosts the museum's trivia nights at 204 Main St., Suite 101. The Halloween edition on Tuesday, October 13, runs 7 to 9 p.m. with host Mark Kerr. Costumes are encouraged, and part of the night's sales goes to the museum. A general trivia night follows on Tuesday, November 10, at the same time and place. In September there was a Gilmore Girls round hosted by Amber and Myla Smith, so this is an ongoing series.
Here's every evening downtown from now through November, in order:
- Wednesday, October 7, 6 p.m. Fiddler Tasting & Dinner at Charterhouse Whiskey Lounge, 235 Main St., $69.99.
- Thursday, October 8, 6 p.m. The final Spirits of Fort Mill Bar Crawl, with Lanterns & Legends tours that same night.
- Tuesday, October 13, 7 p.m. Halloween Trivia at Amor Artis.
- Thursday, October 15, 4 to 8 p.m. Third Thursday Art Crawl, with downtown businesses hosting local artists and pop-up galleries. Lantern tours start a few hours later.
- October 22 through 24 and October 29 through 30. The last two weekends of Lanterns & Legends.
- Tuesday, November 10, 7 p.m. General Trivia at Amor Artis.
- Thursday, November 19, 4 to 8 p.m. The next Third Thursday Art Crawl.
The Daytime Version Starts From the Same Front Door
Daytime events work the same way, starting at Clebourne Street and sending people out into town. For the Graveyard Scavenger Hunt, you pick up a clue sheet at the museum during open hours, then go find the answers at New Unity Cemetery. Return the sheet by 4 p.m. on October 31 to be entered for a prize. The winner will be drawn on Friday, November 6.
The cemetery is also part of the history. The museum's own research says New Unity is another name for the Unity Presbyterian Church Cemetery at 303 Tom Hall Street. It's also known as the Fort Mill Cemetery or City Cemetery. Nobody knows exactly when it was founded, but headstones there are dated as early as 1809. It has been the town's cemetery since the 1920s, and the Town owns and maintains it. The museum's Fall 2026 newsletter tells the story of Patrolman Elliott "Abie" Harris. He grew up in Fort Mill and was shot during a traffic stop near Flint Hill in July 1932. He was buried at Unity Cemetery on July 18 and inducted into the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame in 1996.
On Saturday mornings the museum sets up at the Fort Mill Farmers & Artisans Market. On October 10, Joe and Flora Doraski will be there in costume, running free crafts for kids from 9 a.m. to noon at 106 N. White St. The market runs Saturdays through October 31.
The Town's 12th annual Scarecrow Crawl runs downtown through October 31, with public voting October 7 through 25. The museum's entry is a Martha Bratton scarecrow made for America's 250th anniversary with support from the Culture & Heritage Museums. Its point is York County's role in the Revolutionary War.
Where the Money Goes Back Into Downtown
These events also raise money for the museum. The free Fort Mill Fall Festival takes place Saturday, October 17, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Walter Y. Elisha Park, 345 N. White St., with vendors, live music, costume contests and Touch-A-Truck. Museum volunteers run the beer sales there as a fundraiser. They check IDs, hand out wristbands and sell tickets. Volunteers must be 21 or older, and Amber Smith at [email protected] is the contact. So buying a beer at Fall Fest supports the same organization that runs the lantern tours.
The museum also lends its space to other downtown groups. The Downtown Chili Cook-Off on Saturday, November 21, from 2 to 5 p.m., takes place in the museum courtyard at 107 Clebourne St. Tickets are $25, with beer and wine for sale. The Downtown Fort Mill Co-Op organizes it, and the money supports the Co-Op's work for local businesses and the community.
Where to Go Before or After a Tour
If you're planning a full night out, several of the newer stops are close to the tour route. Charterhouse Cigar & Barrel opened on Main Street earlier in 2026. Its cigar humidor is at 237 Main St. and a speakeasy-style bourbon and cocktail bar is next door at 235. In August, The Herald named Cody King as part-owner and manager. YoCo News lists Carl Manco and King as the owners. A permanent indoor smoking lounge was still being built as of that August report.
Two newer shops share an address at 214 Main St. Phoebe's Boutique, owned by Kari Krasinski, sells women's clothing and gifts and held its grand opening on March 28. Needleworx Studio, a needlepoint studio founded by Bianca Miller, is in Suite 101 of the same building. On a Third Thursday, both are a short walk from the art crawl's pop-up galleries. You can easily browse there before a 6:45 tour.
The Museum Is Asking What Comes Next
Since everything above depends on the museum, its next step matters to downtown too. In the Fall 2026 newsletter, Executive Director Christia Humburg says the board started a new strategic plan in February. They're working with the consulting firm Leadership Simplified and its CEO, Doug Van Dyke. After several in-person interviews, they're now asking the community for input through a survey. The survey is linked in the newsletter, and you can send other ideas to [email protected].
Scavenger hunt sheets are available during museum opening hours through October 31. The next lantern tours start Thursday, October 8, at 6:45 p.m.
At Boykin Property Group, we love downtown Fort Mill in October, from the lantern tours to Main Street. If you'd like suggestions on where to eat before a tour or which nights to book, just ask. Let's walk you home.
